Max Edward Kane (Koehn) from New York

I found this photo in Germany but it was taken in New York. I assumed, as with many other labelled photos in my collection, that it was probably sent to relatives in Germany.

It says on the reverse:

“Complements from Mr. Maximilian Kane to Miss Marie Eckhoff”

I first assumed that this photo was taken before or during WWI, but I couldn't identify the uniform.

So who were Maximilian Kane and Marie Eckhoff? Let’s find out!

Eduard Ferdinand Max Köhn was born on December 19, 1874, in Breslau in today’s Poland. Breslau was the third biggest city of the German Empire in the 1870s. Max’ parents Carl Wilhelm Ferdinand Köhn, a businessman, and Wilhelmine née Schönfeld got married on July 7, 1861, in Berlin, Germany. As far as I could find in the records, these were Max’ siblings:

• Alfred Wilhelm Friedrich Köhn (born in 1862)

• Wilhelmine Charlotte Helene Köhn (born in 1864)

• Paul Oscar Köhn (born in 1865)

• Emma Pauline Ottilie Köhn (born in 1868)

• Benno Eugen Hugo Köhn (born in 1870)

• Bernhard Rudolph Otto Köhn (born in 1872).

According to the 1910 Census, Max came to America in 1882, together with his brother Eugene Köhn, both living in the same household in Manhattan, New York, in 1910. Max was 35 at the time and working as an iron worker in a foundry, while his brother was employed as a salesman in a furniture store. The Census also reveals that Max had been naturalised by 1910.

According to a military record I found on Max, he joined the military service in 1901, so I think my assumptions were wrong that the uniform was from WWI. I suppose the photo was perhaps taken in the early 1900s, right after he joined. He would probably have been in his 20s here. Max was also drafted for WWI. He was 43 then and according to his draft card, he had broken hands (whatever that means exactly).

Max married Anna Engel Eckhoff on August 5, 1910 in Manhattan, New York, and they went on to have two daughters: Ethel Eugenie Kane/Koehn (1911-2011; married Frederick E. Corkrey) and Katherine Kane/Koehn (1916-2000, married Milton Rehain).

And there we have the next clue – the surname Eckhoff, the same as that of the original recipient of this photo. But how were they related? Anna had immigrated as a 3-year-old with her family in 1883. The scan of the document on Ancestry is really difficult to make out, but I understand that Anna’s parents were Johann and Maria Eckhoff and there were four daughters. Father Johann was 34 in 1883, so born around 1859, but I come up empty on this family.

So I have not been able to find a connection between Max’ wife Anna Eckhoff and the recipient of this photo, Miss Marie Eckhoff. I can only assume they were related.

Max adopted an americanised middle name Edward by 1917. His WWI draft card describes him as short and stout with light hair and gray eyes.

I have a lovely surprise for you - you know how I love to see what the strangers in my found photos looked like in different stages of their lives. And here's one of Max, found on Ancestry, probably taken in the 1930s. He might be in his late 50s here.

According to the military service record, Max passed away in 1959, and his wife Anna in 1966.

I will add his photo to FamilySearch and try to make contact with his daughters’ families to return the photo of Max.